Help me choose some gear for Patagonia

For sleeping warm in Alaska, I have down booties and a down balaclava – keeping the head and feet warm make it much easier to stay warm overall. They don't add much weight or bulk to my kit, either. I also always have a water bottle that I can pour boiling water into. In really cold conditions, I will boil water and put it in my water bottle and drop that into a sock (to keep it from burning me) and put in my sleeping bag, it's saved me a few times.

If you're not using a hood with your quilt, 30F will feel cold no matter what. The alpine light should be more than enough (along with a wool or fleece beanie) to keep you warm.

During the day, at 50F any poly or wool baselayer with a beanie should keep you warm as long as you're moving. Add a windshirt for the invariably strong winds and you should be ok. Just remember I've seen plenty of videos and reports where the wind is strong (think 30mph or more) and constant making travel slow and arduous. Maybe throw in a light fleece layer for active use.

Personally I would bring a fleece layer with a hood for the day if it's cool and windy and a MB UL Parka to add to that at night. Just a UL Parka will get me down into the low forties and the fleece will push that into mid 30s. Anything more than that and it's time to crawl into a bag or start moving.

Since you're less experienced with cool weather hiking and don't know how you'll respond, the Alpine Light is a great way to ensure you'll stay warm enough during breaks and in camp with not a terrible weight penalty. Just don't wear it while active no matter how tempting. I find my UL parka is way too warm even at 20F in the dark while active (and less than ideal but we make due in certain situations) and that a fleece is far better, even if heavier.

Do throw a puffy on at breaks ASAP if the air is cool and windy, it'll prevent you from getting chilled. Once chilled, it takes a long time to warm up again in my desert acclimated experience.

Thanks for the input. Ok, so what I'm now thinking for hiking is:

-Poly short-sleeve T
-A light fleece (I have one that is 7.4 oz size small)
-MB Tachyon Anorak windshirt (I went ahead and ordered one earlier today)

It seems like that would allow for comfort in a wide range of daytime conditions while hiking. That would be in addition to my nylon hiking pants, and I bought a Buff which I can use for a little head warmth, if I can figure out how to make all those different shapes with it. The Tachyon has a hood so I can use that as well.

When stopped I'll put on the alpine light parka on top of whatever I've been hiking in if it is cold, and I certainly won't hike in it. If it isn't that cool and I've just been hiking in the t-shirt, I can put the fleece on.

When sleeping, I'll have the RevX 30+2 quilt, my baselayers, the alpine light parka (I bought the parka instead of the jacket precisely so I would have a hood to sleep in), thermal underwear, wool socks, and I can use the buff again if I want to cover my mouth and nose. And if there's an unusually cold night or two, I don't think I'll die – at least as long as I keep my down dry. I can boil some water like Dena says.

Sounds like a reasonable system?

With the Buff, one permutation is to start off with it insideout. Put both hands thru it in opposite directions, with palms facing apart from each other. Grab opposing rims with both hands and pull hands apart. This forms a knot. Adjust it so that one end goes over your head; knot behind your head, other end is like a tail. This is quite a good way to wear it as a hat. Damned if I can make it any clearer in words!

Hey, I got it on the first try!

I will be travelling to TDP and doing the "W" Trek about the same time. My gear list is very similar to yours but am still working on my rain gear. Curious what you will be bringing for rain gear and also footwear. Thanks and have a great trip.

What I currently have for rain gear is:
-OR Helium II jacket
-MYOG Polycryo rain skirt

Not a huge amount of protection, admittedly. I'm also worried about the rainskirt whipping around if it is windy, but I really don't want to take rain pants. If I'm really getting dumped on I guess I could set up the fly on my TarpTent Notch and wait it out. I have some water repellent glove shells, and I am going to attempt to DWR treat my hiking pants for a small amount of additional resistance.

I'm planning on wearing trail runners with synthetic socks. I'll have an extra pair to change out/wash/dry.

I welcome feedback on any of this. And keep in mind that I've done little research on TdP so far, it has all been kind of last minute. But hey, what could go wrong?

-Stephen

Watch out for the cougars, and I'm not talking about middle-aged divorcees!

With the fleece and the alpine light you should be more than ok as long as you keep your gear dry (having a full tent, a pack liner and a little care should suffice). Your legs could deal with a bit more rain protection but as long as you let your feet air out and dry at night before turning in you should be ok. Personally, and with a bit more research, I may consider bringing NRS Hydroskins (my go to for colder and soggy trips) and some cheap but light pants. Maybe get some driducks pants. Not durable but light and cheap enough to have just in case you do want full coverage.

From what I've read and what I've seen, as long as you don't die, even if you are miserably wet and cold, TdP is beautiful enough that it doesn't matter!

And don't forget sun protection — most of the time, you'll be above tree line, so be sure to factor that in. It can often feel quite hot during the day (sun), although the winds are legendary, so that may cool you down a bit.

Those are good points about rain and sun protection.

I keep thinking about at least getting some wind pants, and then I remember that I have a 29" waist and 34" inseam, and that anything I buy would either be silly short or laughably loose. Driducks seem to be made for oompah loompahs. Possibly I could get some tyvek pants or cut the bottom half out of overalls and that might not be too horrible – possibly better fit than the driducks and cheap enough that I won't mind too much if they are too short.

For sun, I think I'll go ahead and get a light long-sleeve T for my base layer to protect my arms instead of a short-sleeve. I'll be wearing long pants, and I have my "goofy hat" for face protection. I can wear the buff for neck protection if the temps allow, and I'll have a little sunscreen along for further face protection and hands.

Here's a link to my latest gear list draft. I hope this works:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5IAsLOHdYhRQ1Bqc1RaNzl0RTA/edit?usp=sharing

If you have a chance to take a look at it, please let me know what you think.

A few key areas:

Day clothes for hiking:
-REI lightweight long sleeve Polartec shirt for baselayer
-Lightweight (7oz in small) fleece half zip pullover
-Montbell Tachyon Anorack
-Buff
-Columbia zip-off hiking pants (I DWR'ed these, but I'm not expecting much)
-Tyvek pants (if I get them in time, for ghetto wind pants)
-Drymax socks (with extra pair)
-Trail runners
-Wide brim hat
-OR Helium II jacket
-MYOG polycryo rain skirt
-Gorilla gloves
-Manzella windstopper water repellant glove shells

Sleeping:
-RevX 30 degree quilt with 2oz overfill
-UL7 Synmat and 1/8" thinlight ccf
-Acorn Fleece socks
-Fleece pants
-Long sleeve shirt from above
-Fleece pullover from above
-Hiking pants if needed
-Buff for face mask if needed
-Montbell Alpine light parka if really cold

How does this sound? I could be overpreparing here, but it is hard to tell.

Should I be concerned about condensation in my down quilt?

I was just on a section of the AT this past weekend (2000-4500 feet) with mostly overcast skies and temps in the mid 50s. I was wearing nylon long pants, an UnderArmour style cold gear long sleeve shirt and a synthetic t, a Nike mesh baseball cap and I was sweating a good bit and hot. I sleep on the cool side but "move" on the hot side relatively speaking. I threw on a Marmot wind shirt when stopped for lunch. It was windy, not excessive. Anyway – just a thought that a beanie and a fleece in those temps might be overkill.